Hard shell - Wounded core
by JustACryBaby98
Summary: First fanfiction of mine. I hope you like it!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1  
** _Nightmares_

„Jane?" Maura had come up to me and laid a hand on my shoulder. I stood in the room of Kate, my little cousin, who has disappeared for almost two months now. Kate is a young, intelligent and creative person who probably were in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

„On such days, I hate my job!" I sighed. We hadn't been able to find Kate's kidnapper so far. For months, my team and I had been busy with the case about my missing cousin but nothing. No trace of her or her kidnapper. I hadn't slept properly for weeks. Either I worked through the files and evidence without interruption or if I did get some sleep, I was plagued with nightmares. I was never so close to a case, which was understandable. It swallowed me inwardly that this son of a..., which has kidnapped Kate, hadn't left a significant proof. 

„Come on, it's getting late." Maura said affectionately and gently pulled my jacket. I hadn't noticed how long we had been here. It were hours. 

„Thank you." I smiled gratefully at my best friend. Not everyone would have stayed with me for so long without saying a single word. In moments like this, I was really glad to have Maura by my side. She understood how I felt and respected my behaviour, even if she didn't always agree with it. We went to the car and I let myself sink on the passenger seat. I felt the tiredness in me rise every second and the stress of the last few weeks were noticeable. 

„I'm going to take you home, Jane. Just because I want to make sure you're sleeping tonight!"  
Her sentence didn't tolerate any repugnance. Normally I would have rolled my eyes and made a derogatory remark, but I was too exhausted. 

In her chic town house, I first dragged myself under the shower. The hot water on my skin and the scent of Maura's expensive shower gel made me quiet for a moment. 

„Jane, is everything alright?" I shrugged, as I heard the knocking on the bathroom door. 

„Y-yes." I replied irritably and fished for my watch next to the sink. That was why Maura had worried:  
I had been under the shower for an hour. It hadn't occured to me so long. It was well to forget for a while.

Quickly I slipped into the shirt and the sweatpants that Maura had given me and made a trip to the kitchen.

„In the guest room, the bed is freshly made and this is chamomile tea, it will do you good." Said Maura, with a cup of hot tea in her hand. 

„Thank you, I think I'll go to bed right now. Good night, Maura." I smiled. 

„Good night, Jane. If you need anything, you can wake me up. Try to sleep. I know the case is very important to you, but your body need to rest!" I just nodded and went towards the guest room. 

I just stared at the ceiling for minutes. So many thoughts circled in my head. Why should Kate have to be a victim, why she had to run with her dog on exactly the same day. She was creative, loving, helpful, intelligent… If I hadn't known it by myself, I almost believed that I could turn pages in Maura's CV:  
Above-averange grades, dedication to social projects and not much contact with other classmates or people. That was the reason for my nightmares. Again and again I experienced only one scenario in my dream:  
Slowly I walk along a forest path. At the end is a hut with a door that opens by herself. The hut is devastated. On the bed lies a lifeless and cold body. I stepped closer and turned the body aside. I shrieked. It was Maura. Again this dream..

-

Sorry for my english. I usually don't write in that language! I hope you liked my story and had fun to read it! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2  
** _Thoughts_

„Jane? What happened? You screamed!" Maura stood in the door with a worried expression.

„I-It's all right, Maura.. Go back to bed, I just dreamed badly." I was ashamed. It was a bit embarrassing for me to be so frightened by a nightmare.

„Would you like to talk about it?" asked my friend sympathetically and sat down at the edge of the bed.

„I don't think that's a good idea." I suppose Maura would be more worried.

„Are you sure?" her look was penetrating.

„Yes, I had a nightmare, everything is okay." I said scratchythan it was intended.

Neverthelesse, Maura stroked my arm lovingly.

„Shall I stay here?"

On the one hand, I would have liked to have her by my side. Her closeness did me good, but I couldn't expect her to pusha night watch as by a small child.

„Go back to bed, I've keep you from your sleep." I said hesitantly. But instead of going, Maura crawled tot he other side of the guest bed and layed down close to me.

„I can sleep well here, too." Her smile was warm and I was really grateful to her for this gesture. She simply knew what was going on inside me without saying anything.

An unpleasant „beep" fetched me out of bed in the morning. It was really amazing, in the few hours Maura had been lying next to me, my sleep had been better than ever! Careless, not to arouse her, I crept into the bathroom, took a shower and dressed. In an hour or so I had to be back in the area. I was determined to work harder on this day to get ahead in Kate's case!

„Good Morning!" Maura greeted me as I stood next tot he sink and stirred my instant coffee.

„You know, the stuff is more than unhealthy, right?"

„Did you sleep well?" I laughed and ignored her blame.

„The question would be more appropriate to you, but judging from your own mood, you seem more relaxed than in the last few days." She answered herself all the same.

„Yes, I must say, I missed it to be able to sleep peacefully this night." I added, tipping down the coffee in a train. „So, now I have to go. Joe Friday still hast o go before I go to work." With these words I was already on my way.

When I opened the door oft he apartment, my little dog came to me, joyfully barking.

„Hey my weetie, have you missed me?" I scratched my dog's fur between her ears. Quickly I grabbed with 2 finger after the line which hung on the couch and went with Joe Friday around the block. The case around Kate didn't let me go, especially when I was alone, I was more concerned with it. I thought about last night, yesterday. Kate's mother had decided to report her as dead, but I didn't want that. I couldn't give up because then the case would be completed and no one would look for her anymore. There was still another reason to stick tot he clarification oft he case.

Twenty minutes later I had taken Joe back tot he apartment and filled her bowl. The I finally got into the car and went to the BPD. As usual, morning traffic on the streets of Boston was a disaster. I certainly stood for a quarter of an hour in the traffic jam, and arrived with difficulty and need on time. Fortunately, I found a parking lot right in front of the building.  
Afterwards, I stood in the elevator and pulled my ruffled hair back into shape.

„Morning, Korsak! I greeted my colleague, who was already breeding over a file and looked up at me only a few seconds later.

„Good morning, Jane." He flipped back, then forward again, looked at a few pages.

„I just can't get here!" He sighs. „We've worked through all the files from front to back and followed every little hint..!"

„Maybe we should start all over again, at 0. First of all, let's go back to Kate's room, maybe something has escaped us, or some of their belongings are hidden somewhere." I suggested.

In fact, it was so that I didn't know anymore. I felt the feeling that this cas would remain unresolved, but I couldn't exprect that as a family member and the whole family.

„Well, we push aside everything we already have, and go home to her again." Korsak agreed.

„Arrived at the house, we went to door and knocked on it.

„Naomi, we're Jane and Korsak. I have already treid to call."

Nobody opened..


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3  
** _Artefacts_

 _„Maybe she's working or traveling somewhere else." My colleguq said._

 _„Wait, I have a key, and we'll come in."_

 _With the key, we came into the house without problems, and a little later we began to search the room and the whole house. I dedicated myself to the wardrobe, Korsak looked at photos and notebooks to find any notes._

 _„Oh, how sweet, there's the young, handsome Janie in the photo." He looked at me and grinned at me._

 _„Shut up, Korsak. Don't make fun of me and look for something important." I told him._

 _All clothes and bags were searched by me, every little piece of paper could help us._

 _Suddenly, Korsak said, „Jane, look at what I found!"_

 _Quickly I turned around with my heels and reconized what he was holding out against me: „This is a key to a locker, where did you find it?"_

 _„Here in this yearbook was a notch. Apparently Katy didn't want him to be found."_

 _Suprised, I looked at the key. It was definitely not a key of her school or home. We already searched at the beginning of our investigation her locker and found out that everything was secured with a combination of numbers._

 _„I think it belongs to a locker at a station or a fitness club." I noticed._

 _If Katy had a bank deposit, it would habe been in our datebase, but she was too young to have one at all._

 _„Without a number or address, it's a pure game to find the right place.." Korsak leaned his head aside. „Perhaps, Naomi knows what he is for."_

 _„She's hiding it from her mother, probably for a reason, maybe it's a mistake to tell her about it, we should take him with and compare in in the lab through a data match in the system." I suggested instead._

 _We stowed the book and the key in each plastic bag and looked again in the room for something more. We also included a few portfolios, perhaps even useful notes between the school and the school records._

 _„Janie, what are you doing here and how did you get here? Why didn't you ring?" Suddenly I heard a shocked voice. As I turned around, I saw Benni standing in the doorway looking at uswith a suprised look.  
I took a step toward him and gesticulated him, that everything was all right._

 _„Calm down, please. I have the key that you and Kate gave me to christmas last year. There were some obscurities, so weh ad to get back to Kate's personal things."_

 _„Did you find what you were looking for Janie? The last few weeks have been exhausting enough, I really need rest and time to prepare myself for not being able to take my sister in my arms again. I need to be alone, upcoming examinations, even if I can't concentrate." Said Benni, annoyed and excited. He rocked on heels and tip-toes._

 _„Benni, you will see her again. We all gonna see her again. You will be able to take her back in your arms. I promise you, I'll get your sister and my little sunshine back safely, I promise."_

 _After we had made a step forward through the non-assignable key we hadn't found any other helpful objects, Korsak and I followed his wish. We said goodbye to Benni and left the house._

 _„Benni sounded nervouse, don't you think?" Korsak asked me as we sat in the car, on the way to the BPD._

 _„Also, he was quite cold against me when he saw that I searched Kate's stuff again. Maybe he is just confused where his sister might be."_

 _In his place, I would have been delighted if two police officers were working on the case of his missing little sister, but his reaction was a little different._

 _„There's something he hast o hide, I'm sure we should keep an eye on Benni!" He concluded._

 _„Korsak, it's her brother. And I know him. He wouldn't do anything to her! They are both made oft he same flesh and blood, they are inseparable!"_

 _„Jane, I know, but I've seen him hiding something, so we can keep him under surveillance to be safe. Also, Dr. Isles is the flesh and blood from Paddy Doyle and she is the opposite of him!" He gave back and I gave him right. But together, we decided not to take care of it. A patrol should pass by and see if everything it's alright._

 _Immediately when we arrived at the office, I brought the key and the yearbook to the lab._

 _„Hey Maura, can you please check these pieces here?" with these words I held the bags against her._

 _„Are these things part of the Kate case?" She asked, raking the plastic bags fromm y hand._

 _I answer, „Yes, but we have no idea which lock the key open."_

 _She looked at the contents and scribbled a number on the plastic bag.  
„If this is an original key, we should be able to figure out the type of lock he belongs to, and which company produced these locks, and who care for them."_

 _That sounded positively! Maura's explanation made me hope.  
She put the key under the microscope. I really hoped the piece would help us. We finally had no clues and the case would run out the drain.  
Maura turned the small wheel on the left side of the microscope and slowly pushed the key back and forth._

 _„As I thought it would." She commented, flicking over to her laptop to type a combination of numbers._

 _„This key belongs tot he locker number 473812 from the Clockwork & Sons Company . Unfortunately, I can't determine where the related subject is._

 _Maura gave me an expression of the information._

 _„Thanks Maura! This really has help us!" I said, pleased and pressed a kiss on her cheek._

 _For a long time this was the best result and I hurried to tell the news to Korsak.  
Impatiently, I stepped one foot to the other in the elevator._

 _„Korsak, Maura has identified the key!" I shouted, waving the expression in my hand. I grabbed my jacket from the chair and gestured him to follow me._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Hurdles

„Where are we driving?" Vince asked as I entered the company's address into the navigation system.

„Clockwork & Sons." I replied. „This company is responsible fort he lockers, which also fit our key." I explained.

A little later we arrived at the company headquarters. A secretary took us to the responsible staff for the public lockers.

„Canoe Lee my name, what can I do for you?" The young man stood up kindly.

„Detective Korsak and Rizzoli, Boston Police, we need information about one of your lockers." Replied my colleague.

„What is the subject?"

„It belongs to this key." I put our piece of evidence on the desk. „The corresponding number is 157846."

„Mhmmm… 15 is in our register fort he main station, the 7 is for us internally only for the purpose of cost allocation, so you look fort he locker 846."

I wrote down everything in my black little book and thanked me. Everything was easier than expected.

We drove straight tot he main station. After Kate had made such a secret around this key, I was more than curious about the contents of the locker.  
There was a lot going on by the train station, but the cabinets were in a secluded area, so we were looking for the right locker.

„Here it is!" Korsak pointed tot he bottom.

The key fitted and I opened the small grey metal door. In front of me lay two folders and a thin folder. There was also a USB stick in a black leather case. I didn't know yet what use these things would bring us, but I felt that we were at last very close to the clarification of the case.

Immediately after we reached the police station, I brought the USB stick to Nina, while Vince took the folders.

„Hello Nina, can we see what is on it?"

„Yes." She put the stick into her computer.

Shortly afterwards, however, I heard a „crap!" from her mouth. This couldn't be a good thing.

„What's going on?" I asked.

„The files are password protected." Nina explained.

„Can you unlock they somehow?"

„Unfortunately not, external storage is hard to crack.."

I sighed. Finally, we had a hint, but already there was a Obstacle in the way.  
„Maybe we'll find something that points to the password. All are scanning the other files we've found in the locker." I said, crushed.

„Okay, in the meantime, I'm trying to find a solution." Nina smiled and tapped wildly on the computer keyboard.

Pondering, I went back to my place. As a password Kate could use almost any term.

Korsak looked up from his work.  
„And, was the contents oft he USB stick usable?"

„Nina couldn't retrieve the files. They are password-protected." I cleared him.  
„Have you found something useable?" Maybe the folders took us away.

„There were logs in one oft he folders, but the information was blackened, I don't understand much of it, but it looks very medically."

Strange. Why did Kate need medical records and, above all, I wondered how she could black out the documents, sh was only 17.  
I went over to Korsak and looked at the individual sheets more closely. There were clearly files of people. Forms, which had tob e completed in the hospital and in general, however names and personal information were darkly painted over.

-

I'm sorry that so long no chapter came online and even today came only a very small one. I am lying in the hospital and don't have the strength to write something.  
Once I'm back home, longer chapters will come online.

I hope you enjoyed the small chapter anyway! 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
Practice Body

„Have you seen the folders?" perhaps there were explanations in the, so far, unusable files.

Korsak replied. „So far only this one."

I grabbed the second folder and opened the first page. In the hope of finding at least a small thing which would bring us closer tot he solution. I flipped through the pages. Here too, blackened documents were found. What did it all mean?  
On some pages, Kate had recorded a date, I quickly saw that there were four main dates.

„Hey, are there dates of some of our files? I have here the 28th of February, 30th of April, 31st of May and 30th of June."

„Yes, it's the 30th September and the 31st October." Vince grunted thoughtfully. „At least we know now that Kate received the information at regular intervals or always at the end of the month.

Beautiful to know but this hasn't brought us no further.

„But what did she want?" These forms are useless, not even the names.

I was annoyed that we had nothing in our hands, I had promised myself so much from the locker, and now we were sitting on a mountain of useless notes. Hopefully, Nina would manage to crack the password of the USB stick. On these electronic files hung our last hope for the solution of the case.

„Kate study medicine, didn't she?" Korsak teared me out of my thoughts. I nodded.

„Could it be that the data is something related to the university?" maybe she's caught friends illegal trade or illegal practice, or maybe they were days when she was somewhere for a job or an intership." His approach wasn't so bad, so we opened the school plans of the Boston University and gave the numbers into the search field. Unfortunately, no results came back.  
I sighed. Korsak's idea was really good.

To distract me a little, I decided to pay a visit to Maura. Patients were more likely their area, even if they were already dead on the table.

„Hey." I smiled when I arrived in the lab.

„Hello Jane, did the contents oft he locker help you?" My friend immediately wanted to know.

She was indeed curious. This was one of the things that linked us both. Once weh ad a case, any news was interesting and exciting.

„Not really… Blackened patient record or something, on some dates. But otherwise we have nothing at all!" I gave vent to my anger. It annoyed me that we didn't get any further.

„Also the dates didn't gave any results?" Maura put away the clamp and leaned against the autopsy table.

„No, we only know that it was always the end of the month." I said helplessly. Today so many new clues had emerged, but every trace ran in the sand.

She looked at me, her brow was wrinkled and her lips curled.

„When I was still on the BCU, the exercise body was delivered on the last day of the month. At that time, I did the stocktaking in the pathological department for one semester."

„Exercise bodies?" disgusted, I looked at Maura. But this word sounded terrible, like a Horror movie. Somehow, I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear further explanations, but Madame Google Talk had already started. Once she had begun, there was no holding..

„Yes, people who have made their bodies available to science after their death often brought to practice in universities. After all, the students have to rehearse the cuts, sutures and operations before they can treat the living patients." She told me. Well, this information might even be interesting for our case.

I considered. Kate had made records of arriving bodies. According to this, the patient sheets were an indiacation that something was wrong in the pathological department.

„Would you come up and look at the files more closely? Perhaps you can say more on the basis of your experiences." I asked my best friend finally. She had worked at the university in exactly this area, because she know about it.

„Of course." Nodded, smiling and following me into the elevator. „Would you like to sleep by me?" asked Maura as we stood in the cabin. I was surprised by her sudden theme change.

I wondered what I was going to say.

„Last night I slept really well, Maura. The nightmares are hopefully over.." a short thought pause. „Besides, I don't want to be a burden, you might didn't slept well next to me."

I had been the one who had awakened her by my scream. I was glad Maura had responded so understandingly, but it had been a bit embarrassing to me.

„To be honest, I slept excellently Jane but I am happy if your nightmares have settled down." Could I see a slight displeasure in her face? Were my answer not the right?

„we can still go tot he Dirty Robber tonight. Korsak maybe has a place for us." I suggested.

„A good idea!" Maura smiled again. 


End file.
